Dragon Falls (Indigo Apocalypse Book III)

Chapter Twenty: A Slow Walk From The Dark To The Light

ARACHNE:
I sat in front of Sydney, her arms lightly around my waist. More to keep me from falling than for her own security. My arms however, were bands around Huntor's ribs as he sat at the front, leading Theia over the canyon of mountains. Or, more likely, she was leading him, over the canyon of mountains. We'd been flying for a bit over a day now, and were nearing the end of the mountains. My arms tightened around Huntor as Theia dove slightly. I felt his laughter, though it was ripped away by the wind. Behind me, I felt Sydney's chuckle. I wanted to scream indignantly, "Sadists, I'm flying with sadists." But minus the wind ripping those words away, I knew they'd just laugh. Finally, Theia set down on a peak, her talons digging into the stone. Sydney slid off her back first, Huntor slid next. I was too stiff and needed them both to help lift me down. And damn it they were both smirking. Theia stretched languidly and with shifting bones, returned to her humanoid form. "We'll rest here for a bit, not long though." Said Theia, glancing northward, to where the lights glittered like a moon, like the moon on Earth. I could still see the two dragons, one blue one gold, forever circling each other in an eternal dance. Sydney stretched and walked to the edge. "Fine by me, because I'm starving, flying Theia Airlines is not exactly first class." Huntor snorted. "What would you know of Airlines and first class?" "I read things." She said mildly. Huntor snickered. "Theia Airlines, I like that one." "Sorry, should I have given a warning, that there will be no inflight meals, turbulences can kill, no drinks, no foot rubs, and no comfort?" She asked it all in official like tones, every word running right over the next at high speed. "Exactly." Said Sydney.
Leaving them to their comfortable banter, I stepped away and faced the impending drop far far below. "Some of these mountains are even bigger than Everest on Earth." Huntor had said. I could barely see the ground far below, and presumed this was one of those mountains. As the banter between the tthree continued, I drew closer to the edge of the mountain. Everything was so strange, everything. I'd slept through my first decade and a half. Slept, because my mother, because Arachne wanted me to become a monster. Wanted to use me, to destroy me, like she did Arachnid. She wanted us to break as one, then she could use us both. Doubt began to swoop in like an awaiting tide as my thoughts swirled around and around. She' created me, created me to embody her, to take her soul and Arachnid's. She wanted to destroy me to assume me. What was I? Who, was I? Without this, without any of this? I looked down, at the pale, moon pale skin, at the black jeans I bore, the black boots. I sat on the edge of the bit of rock we were on, staring down at the drop. I ran a finger through my black hair. Black, black, black, a monster, a demon, a beast. Was I all those things? She had wanted to use us, use us to do the kind of damage on the ocean, to destroy whole countries like Dodona, like the Snow Kingdom. Like more. I was a monster, I knew I was. I looked down, at my arms, my wrists, where those slits still were. I ran a finger over one slit, and my skin hummed, ready for my exoskeleton armor to immure it at a moment's notice. The crown atop my head felt like a useless weight. Useless, because I was born with my own armor. Born to become a monster.
    The drop yawned below, yawned like a maw. I wondered how fast would I die if I fell. If I just let myself slide forward off this ledge and just dropped. Was there even anything in me worth saving? I wasn't even sure why Huntor had brought me. Wasn't even sure why he brought me here when all I was, all I would ever be was ballast. Even now, behind me those three still bantered, still joked as if it were the easiest thing in the world. I remembered how Huntor had saved me, had banished Arachne's possession over me. But here, here in the original world where she was born. What was the point in fighting her? In fighting what I was created to do? I was a monster, a creature of venom and malice. My brother was taken, in the worst way possible. I had no life. Why not just end it all now? Why not just let myself fall, let myself die? Death would have been preferable compared to this, to surviving under what I now knew I was. Under this kind of agony. I wanted death, wanted to just die and be done with it. To fall and never rise again. "Hey Arachne."
    I turned my head. Black and gold boots stood by me, and I raised my head, seeing the golden scale pants, golden scaled shirt, and up to the moon pale face of Sydney. "Hi." I said. "Mind if I sit?" "Um, yeah, I guess." Easily, Sydney slid her legs over and sat, letting her feet dangle over the drop. "That bad huh?" "What?" I asked. "You know, it wasn't that long ago Huntor pulled me out of the darkness and into the light." Silence reigned between us, and in the quietude, she gently touched my arm. Finally, I said, "I just don't understand why he brought me along. I'm just weight. I can't contribute to his cause, finding the Sun Dragon crown. Fighting Ragni Di Morte. I just, I can't do, anything." I said, huffing out the last few words. Sydney said nothing, just listened as I continued. "I've been asleep for years, and woke in darkness with Amanda and Dargonue over me. Arachnid woke then too, and they molded us, shaping us into the monsters Arachne wanted. Arachne wanted to use us, use us to embody her and become her. I can't, I can't live knowing that all I am is her, all I am is a mmonster." Sydney didn't speak, just sat there until I ran myself down. Finally, she said, "I was the exact same way."
    "When Huntor first found me in Dargonue's prison, I was almost broken. Almost. I wanted death, to die and to kill every male I saw. When Huntor was tossed in my cell though, it was different. He made me feel, feel wanted, needed, feel things I never thought I would feel for a male. I wanted him to touch me, to kiss me, and I had been abused and raped by males all my life. So to want that, need that, it drove me crazy. When we finally were at the Symbol, and I could breathe, all I wanted was to hide in the darkness. He designed my room so it would never be dark, but I wanted to hide in the darkness. To live in the darkness." "What happened?" I asked. "I shoved him away. Broke our mating bond slightly. And damn near killed him. He tried to kill himself from the pain. But his friends ssaved him in time. And, I ran. Ran, and was captured again. I knew it was a mistake, and that once again, I needed to be saved. I vowed never to live in the dark again, to never allow myself to fall like that again." She brushed a tear from my cheek. "You aren't a monster unless you make yourself one. Unless you loose the ability to feel for what you know is right and wrong, what you'll learn is right and wrong. It'll take time, believe me, I know. I've been there. You can rise before you fall." "You were supposed to be here?" Sydney nodded. "I was, but I fought her, and so can you." She kissed my forehead. "She made us both, making us closer, making us sisters. She gave us both parts of her, exact parts of her. I believe that when the time comes, you'll choose right." "What? When what time comes?" But she just gave me a crooked grin, and rose. She held out her hand, and taking it, and the silent promise, let her pull me up. I stepped away from the edge and turned away. I saw the lights, as far away as the moon on Earth, and just as bright. As Theia and Huntor continued talking, as Sydney gently pulled me toward them, toward the packs Theia had unloaded, something breathed in my ear. At the same time, a cold hand pressed against the back of my neck.
There was the sound of unsheathing metal and Sydney faced the mountains parallel to us. "Shit." She murmured. "Huntor, you need to see this." "She says to the blind male." But Huntor stepped over, Theia beside him. Sydney maundered something Huntor appeared to ignore. Across the valley, on a parallel peak outcropping, several pairs of eyes glinted in the darkness. Theia's flame grew brighter, illuminating the nine bulky Ragni Di Morte. "What do we do?" Theia asked. "Do we fight them?" "They seem to be asking each other the same question." Said Sydney. Shrugging, Huntor observed the all too still spiders. "We could, though what would be the point?" "Spiders of death." Said Theia, as if that were answer in it of itself. "We let them attack first." Said Huntor. "Because you know they will?" Asked Sydney. "Yep. They see three gods here, they won't give up an opportunity to attack, and once they see it's the sun dragons, oh yeah, they'll attack." He lifted a sapphire blue sword. "And when they do, we fight, but for now." He slid the blade away. "Let's eat something." It was true enough. Late that night, I lay awake in my tent, and felt more than heard Theia open the flaps. "Come." Was all she commanded.
"They aren't very subtle are they?" Inquired Sydney. "No." Said Huntor as he watched the nine spiders climbing up the side of the mountain. "How do you wanna handle it?" Sydney asked. He looked toward me. "I have an idea." "The four words society fears most." I stood alone on the outcrop, gently stroking my wrist. "Remember the signal." Said Huntor before he and Sydney had sank into the ground. When they rose over the edge, they all looked around. Then, bowed deeply. "Daughter of our mother." One spoke with a gorgeous male voice. I stroked my wrisst again, and my exoskeleton imured my body. The air blew in my ear, a warning sign. "What do you want." "You are to come with us. Come with us, and bring the dragons." So Huntor was right. They did have a mission, of sorts. "And if I don't?" One spider swiftly spun around, pointing it's abdomen at me. A web line shot out. I dodged and the web slammed into the wall behind me, cracking the stone. "We'll take you by force, and find out where they are that way." Said the male conversationally. I nodded. "Fine." The spider twitched, as if in surprise. "Fine?" "What's the point in fighting?" I asked, stepping forward. "They're behind you." The spider facing away twitched. Theia flew down, slamming into it, and setting it aflame. The spider screamed horribly as it died. The others tried to strike but Theia swept up and away. "Oh, oops." I said as dryly as I could. "I lied. They're underneath you." The ground opened up and literally swallowed the Ragni Di morte. Huntor and Sydney rose on either side of me, and it was Sydney who pushed her palms toward the ground and outward. The Ragni were half submerged.
    "In retrospect," said Huntor. "That was simple." "Must you tempt fate?" Asked Sydney. "Huntor shrugged." The Ragni hissed, spitting venom. Theia landed a few feet away and folded her wings neatly. "Let's play twenty questions shall we?" Huntor approached the spiders. "First question, where is Arachne hiding?" For a moment, the spiders all froze, and looked toward me. "Right there." Huntor sighed. "Should've seen that coming." He raised his hand, and I felt the ground rumble. Then, the spiders shrieked in agony. "Let's try this, where's the Dark Queen, Arachne?" Now the spiders snapped their pincers, spitting venom and shrieking. A puff of steam uncoiled from the rocks, and two spiders melted. "Where is she?" Huntor asked conversationally. "We are not aware." Said two Ragni Di Morte. "That's a lie." Said Theia dryly. "Yeah, but really, did you expect them to say." Said Sydney. "How's this?" Asked Huntor. "Where's the Ilio Drakous crown." There was a pause, then the spiders shrieked and snarled. "Oh they know." Said Sydney. "All of them know where that is." "Where is it?" Huntor asked gently, even as the ground grew hotter under us. The spiders continued to scream and shriek. "You know." Said Theia dryly. "They could be calling for others, trying to call for reinforcements." Huntor nodded. Then, with a flick of Sydney's hand, the ground opened, and the Ragni Di Morte fell in a pit of lava. Then, just as suddenly, the pit closed, leaving behind nothing but a patch of obsidian stone. "You say you know where it is." Sydney said. "I believe, but it would be nice to be wrong and just have confirmation." He shrugged nonchalantly.